


Crunch: The Game

by OniGarbage



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-06-29 22:18:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19839637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OniGarbage/pseuds/OniGarbage
Summary: Michael moves to a new town for a new life with new friends and a new school. However, something is going on in Rosewood, something for Michael and his new friends to figure out.





	1. Chapter 1

The car was compact, boxes stacked next to Michael, the top one open with a few things peeking out. Michael sighed fidgeting with his phone trying to find the perfect song. When he couldn't he tore his headphones off. "How much longer?" he impatiently asked. Bryan jolted up from his comfortable nap swearing. Zeno sighed heavily.

"Ten minutes," Zeno started. "Tops!" He looked up at Michael through the rearview mirror, those purple eyes basically peering into his soul. Michael nodded, forcing a smile. He didn't know why his uncle insisted on wearing his ceremonial makeup in public. Zeno wore a sugar skull-esq make up attire for his weird death religion, Michael didn't understand it.

"You're thinking about my makeup again, stop it," Zeno scolded from the front seat causing Bryan to burst out laughing.

"Shut up!!" Michael simply retorted, his voice cracking. Bryan laughed harder. Michael just swore, putting his headphones back on. He sighed looking out the window. The ocean, so beautiful. He smiled watching the sandy shores being overtaken by the beautiful blue and white water. Then he saw a head, appearing slowly out of the ocean. It was followed by another head, more and people just walking out of the ocean.

"Those are Aquinians," stated Bryan simply. Michael felt a tad bit of fear looking out at them. Not too long ago Ignians like him were enslaved by the Aquinians. It made his stomach drop with nerves. He blinked a few times before turning on a game on his phone, needing a distraction from them. About five minutes later, he felt the car take a strange turn and stop. Michael paused his music taking off his headphones. He rolled down the car window and smiled. The house was beautiful. It was a two-story blue home with white window panes and a porch with a balcony.

"We could set up chairs on the porch and watch the rain!!" said Bryan excitedly, getting out of the car and walking around taking awkward steps with his long unsteady legs.

"Better yet," Zeno followed kneeling at the bare garden where the previous owners took their plants from. "We could have a nice garden."

"Get some hens out back?" Bryan suggested.

"We aren't becoming farmers!" Zeno laughed soon followed by Bryan. After the two went inside, Michael got out of the car, first grabbing the boombox Ryder, his best friend from his old city, had gifted him. He turned into a radio station.

"Welcome to Rosewood Radio, the only station where the weather is followed by not the weather but instead traffic. I'm Vince Kealani, here to deliver you the latest Mystical News!" Michael laughed at that, he didn't quite know why but something was funny about the host's delivery of 'Mystical News.' While Bryan and Zeno unpacked Michael sat in the yard listening to the calming, yet strange, stories of Vince Kelani. Suddenly Michael was interrupted from his listening time.

"Wanna head into town?" Zeno offered.

"Yeah, sure," Michael replied getting up from the grass. The two began to walk, living so close to town was so pleasant. Zeno pointed out the school Michael would be going to, Rosewood Academy. It was big and beautiful, made of red brick. It had many windows peering into the classrooms, some had students in it doing whatever, most didn't. The school wasn't in session, after all, so the students were probably in clubs. There was a large statue upfront, Zeno approached it. It was of two men with children at their feet, one was a tad bit hairier than the other, while the other was very smooth, a large age difference stood between the two men. Michael looked at the plaque. 'In loving memory of Beau D'Amours.'

"He's one of the founders of his school, along with his husband," he pointed out the other man. "Stone D'Amours." Michael simply nodded not caring too much about this information. "He's the principal still, actually." Michael was taken aback, this must be one wrinkly prune of a man.

"How is he not dead?!" Michael exclaimed.

"Albetrude," Zeno sighed. "Their people live apparently forever. Never aging, just existing. They're plants after all."

"Plants."

"Yes, plants."

"I'm so confused," Michael groaned beginning to walk towards town. Zeno followed, chuckling silently to himself. The two got to town and immediately stopped by a local bike store, buying bikes for themselves.

"Why not get Uncle Bryan one?" asked Michael, who immediately knew the answer to his question as soon as it left his mouth.

"I doubt he could ride it, his Tourettes gets bad when driving, so I doubt he could manage a bike." Zeno smiled while pedaling. "We could save on gas with these!" he excitedly cheered. The two stopped by a cafe, known simply as Jiji's Cafe. They went inside sitting at the bar of the cafe. 

"Good afternoon!" came their waiter. "Can I interest you two some coffee?"

"Do you have pop?" Michael asked before Zeno had a chance to order. The man nodded, his nametag saying Uilani. He handed Michael a cola, then took Zeno's order.

"You two are new around here, aren't you?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes, we just moved in actually!" Zeno replied cheerfully.

"That's wonderful! Welcome to Rosewood! You know, you're going to need a job," he turned to Michael. He slid over an application for his own cafe.

"Sounds great!" Zeno said taking it for Michael. "You're gonna fill this out when we get home right?"

"Uhh... yeah sure, I guess," Michael took a sip of his cola. "Can I go to the comic shop next door?"

"Of course!"

Michael quickly got up and left, finding the two adults oddly suffocating. He went inside Comic Station and froze. The boy at the counter was absolutely breathtaking, even though he was an Aquinian. He had gray skin, blue and purple freckles dotting his cheeks, and jaw-length purple hair.

"Welcome to the Comic Station!" he spoke in an Aquinian accent. "Anything you're looking for in particular?"

"N-no," Michael stammered.

"Well, let me know if you need any help!" the boy smiled. Michael couldn't help himself, the name tag said Finnian, what an ironic name for a sea-dwelling man.

"Do you go to school around here?" Michael asked hopefully. Finnian put his comic down a little shocked by the question.

"Yeah actually," he started. "I go to Rosewood. What about you?"

"I'm new actually, I start there next week." Finnian smiled brightly, taking a liking to the boy.

"Welcome to Rosewood, I'm Finnian."


	2. Chapter 2

Michael laid snug in his bed, fast asleep with not a worry on his mind. He suddenly awoke, anxiety hitting him hard in the chest. His first day was tomorrow, he couldn’t sleep like this. Carefully, he opened the door to his room, then the door to Zeno’s room. The lamp was still on, Zeno was fast asleep with a book on his chest, his reading glasses were still on. He crawled into Zeno’s bed, the anxiety still making his heart race. Zeno jolted awake then sighed. “Oh it’s just you,” he whispered, moving the book to the nightstand. Michael chuckled a little, it was a book on cleaning, what a Zeno thing to read. “What’s wrong honey?”  
“Nothing…”  
“The only time you come into my bed is when you’re upset.”  
“I…” Michael started reluctantly. “I’ve been really anxious about tomorrow. I mean going to a new school with new people. It’s all so scary.”  
“Are you worried about making friends or just the fact that everything is different?”  
“Everything being different.”  
“Change is good.”  
“It doesn’t feel good.”  
“This is a good change, you’re focusing on the bad. This is an opportunity for you.”  
“I guess…” Michael turned over unable to face the man and all his positivity.  
“We can talk more in the morning about it, I love you sweetheart.” Michael paused for a beat, then two.  
“I love you too.”  
Michael woke up to the beeping of Zeno’s alarm. Zeno got up from his bed stretching before heading over to Michael’s side of the bed, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Good morning, kiddo,” he whispered.  
“G’ morning…” Michael muttered still exhausted. Michael rolled over trying to go back to sleep.  
“Want to do some yoga with me?” Zeno offered. Michael slowly nodded rolling out of bed, numbly following Zeno to the living room. Zeno rolled out two yoga mats, a purple one for himself and a red one for Michael. Zeno began instructing Michael, telling him when to breathe in and when to exhale. He followed Zeno’s movements stretching his body out with him. Michael felt himself really waking up. Bryan eventually sluggishly moved from his room.  
“Mm, yoga,” he started. “Wish I could uhhh, fuck, do it.”  
“You could always try again,” Zeno replied looking up at the man.  
“Naw, I get tempted to uhh…” he looked down at Zeno kicking his arms out from underneath him. Zeno fell straight onto his chest with a pained grunt.  
“I understand,” Zeno groaned.  
“Can you make breakfast, please?”  
“I’ll be on it in a second,” he said still face down on the ground. Michael gently put a hand on Zeno then fell on his own face. Downward dog was not going well today. He rolled over, staring at the ceiling. Zeno then rolled over staring with him. “I feel like this could be yoga.”  
“It’s not a pose?”  
“But it’s nice,” he replied. “It doesn’t have to be a pose, I don’t think.” Zeno sighed getting up, and heading into the kitchen to make breakfast. Michael waited there for a minute when there was a knock on the door. He stood up on unsteady legs before hopping over to get the door. He threw it over just to see Finnian.  
“Hey!!” Finnian cheered, happy to see Michael.  
“What are you doing here?” Michael asked.  
“I wanna take you to school! Let’s walk together!”  
“Right now?”  
“N-no! I mean when- uh… I came a little early didn’t I?” he laughed.  
“Hey Zeno, can Finnian eat breakfast with us?”  
“Yeah sure,” he poked his head out of the kitchen. “How does he like his eggs?”  
“Scrambled, please!” replied Finnian. Finnian came in with Michael, kicking his boots off at the door. He followed Michael to the living room where he put on morning cartoons. “I love these!”  
“They’re made for babies,” chuckled Michael.  
“I guess I’m a baby then!” The two began to laugh. The two got absorbed into the cartoons, while Zeno cooked in the kitchen.  
“Breakfast is ready!!” Zeno said carrying the plates out to the kitchen.  
“Can we eat in the living room?” asked Michael.  
“No, we have a dining room.”  
“But why?”  
“Michael, don’t push it, you can watch the cartoons after breakfast.” The teen nodded, sitting at the breakfast table to eat his eggs, toast, and bacon.  
“Mm, meat!” Finnian chowed into his bacon. “My mom never ate meat like this outside of fish. She’s one of those pesky-terians.”  
“You have a mom?” Michael looked up at him curious about his family. Finnian got silent.  
“I had a mom.”  
“Had?”  
“She went missing when I was 6,” he looked down at his plate, tears already welling up in his eyes. Yikes, touchy subject, Michael thought. Zeno reached out patting Finnian’s back.  
“It’s okay buddy, you’ll find her.”  
“You really think so?!” he shouted.  
“Yes, I do.” Zeno offered a warm smile. Bryan finally entered the dining room, which was more or less the living room, just away from the couch and tv where there was a table set for usually three but today there was four.  
“Who’s this kid?” Bryan asked.  
“This is Finnian, remember you met him the other day?” responded Michael. Bryan sighed looking sicker than ever. The man was regularly sick, sick more than anyone Michael’s ever met. It’s like every other week they’d be visiting the pharmacy for him. Bryan was pale with dark shadows under his eyes, he occasionally coughed. His stubble didn’t help much with his sickly physic. He’s always been thin too, frail-looking which is why most workplaces hesitate to employ him.  
“Sorry, I’ve forgotten,” he sat down heavily easing into the chair. He shakily took his fork and knife beginning to neatly cut his eggs before devouring them. Bryan liked his eggs slightly runny, Michael did not. He liked the yolk firm, completely fried. Zeno liked his eggs very runny, so he could dip his toast in the yolk. It was good on Zeno to know how everyone liked their eggs, now he knew Finnian’s who liked scrambled eggs. The four ate in near silence with occasional grunting and throat clearing from Bryan, his regular vocal tics.  
“So you have two dads?” Finnian broke the silence.  
“No, no, no,” Michael laughed nervously, paling at the thought of them being his dads. “They’re my uncles.”  
“So you two are dating?” It was time for Zeno to burst out laughing.  
“No! We’re brothers!” he shouted after laughing. Finnian then blushed letting out a gentle, oh. Finnian pulled out his phone checking the time.  
“Vince should be up soon.”  
“Who’s Vince?”  
“My best pal!! Vince Kelani!”  
“Like the radio show host?!” Michael was completely taken aback. Did he know Vince Kelani?  
“Yeah! He’s my good pal. We hang all the time at his dad’s cafe!”  
“His dad’s cafe?”  
“Yeah! Jiji’s cafe!”  
“His dad is Jiji?”  
“No his dad is Mr. Uilani. But his big bro, Vince’s uncle, Kamalani, calls him Jiji and Mr. Uilani calls him K.k. Like the Animal Crossing character!”  
“I was following you until the very end.”  
“That’s ok we can talk more about it once we get w-walking,” he stuttered. “Let’s get going!” Michael looked down at his empty plate and nodded. He grabbed his bag, Zeno insisted he packed it the night before. He followed Finnian outside, his bag heavy on his shoulders. It would make this walk unbearable.  
“How did you get here?”  
“My dad dropped me off, he usually drops me off at Vince’s,” Finnian replied walking slightly ahead of Michael who simply nodded. The town was a little bit away, about a ten minute walk from the residential area where he lived. Perfect little houses, all sorts of colors lined the streets. Most had flower gardens in front, some had fences with dogs behind them. One even had a cat in the window. He saw someone mowing their perfect green lawn, and a lady tending her perfect flower garden. It was beautiful. As they walked Michael reached up touching the leaves that hung over the sidewalk, dew gently wetting his hand. He laughed.  
They soon made it to town, five more minutes until they reached Jiji’s cafe. The two made some jokes laughing the way there, they had been hanging out whenever Finnian was off work. It was nice to hang out with someone new. They made it to Jiji’s cafe, heading inside.  
“Hey Finny! Ah yes the new kid, Michael was it?” greeted Uilani.  
“Yeah it’s Michael,” he replied with a wave. Uilani handed Michael a coffee then Finnian one.  
“Gotta stay caffeinated for school!” he happily chirped. Which was strange to hear with such a deep voice regularly. “Vince is just wrapping up the morning show, he’ll be down in a second.” Finnian nodded sitting at the bar with Michael, sipping on his coffee. Michael noticed the stairs next to the bar, they led up to a door, probably the apartment upstairs where they lived. The look of the cafe was calm, using dark wood for the bar and walls. It was a dark brown, almost red even. It was decorated with local art most of it on sale for a simple $10 to $15. There was also a merch shop in the corner, decorated with t-shirts, coffee mugs, and bags of whole coffee beans. Michael took up the most caffeinated one and brought it over to Uilani.  
“Can I buy this?” he asked. Uilani raised an eyebrow.  
“Yeah sure, 10 bucks,” Uilani replied. “Who’s it for?”  
“My uncle.”  
“Zeno?”  
“No no,” Michael chuckled. Zeno didn’t drink coffee, he was more of a tea person. “It’s for Bryan! He’s a huge coffee drinker and I think he’ll appreciate it. He loves getting the jitters.”  
“Okay, then.” There was a slam of a door and shuffling of feet down stairs. A boy appeared, slightly taller than Finnian. He grabbed his red hair, using a hair tie, tied it up into a ponytail that reached his upper back. The boy looked so similar to Michael, dark skin, freckles, even the same brown eyes.  
“Hello, Finnian, and my new friend!” he said going in for the hug. Michael reluctantly hugged back. “The names Vince Kela-”  
“His name is Kealani Kelani,” interjected Uilani. Finnian began to laugh.  
“Dad just let me go by Vince!” the boy turned to his father, who also began to laugh.  
“Alright, Vince.” He handed Vince the remaining coffee. “I’ll see you boys when you get off from school! Walk safe!” And out the door they were.  
“What’s with your name?” asked Michael.  
“Oh, his name is from the great Kelani line!!” replied Finnian. “I learned about them in history the other day. They’re a line of royal guards to protect the great Kahale family. However, most of them were killed during Jeremy’s rule. Vince is the last of a new generation. What was the name of your dead cousin?” Vince got tense and somewhat sad.  
“His name was… I don’t know but my father calls him Aolani, meaning heaven. He went missing so he might not be dead.” Finnian grew silent as they approached the school. They saw a pair of nearly identical twins holding up a sign that said Michael’s name. “It’s the welcoming committee, the Yang twins.” Vince seemed to blush at the sight of them.  
“Oh hi Vince!” came the bubbly voice from the female twin. Her long wavy white hair seemed to bounce as she skipped over to him pulling him into a hug. “It’s so nice to see you!!”  
“You must be Michael!” came the other twin. “I’m Raine and this is my sister Reece, but you can call her Ricki!” His hair was shorter, straighter. The both of them were darker than Michael and dressed rather appropriately for the warm weather. Ricki wore a light blue vest and striped black and white shorts while Raine wore a gold tank top and cargo pants.  
“Yeah I’m Michael, it’s nice to meet you.”  
“Aren’t you hot in that hoodie of yours?” asked Ricki.  
“This one’s an Ignian,” said Finnian.  
“Oh it’s so interesting then with how much you talk about him,” Ricki teased causing Finnian to blush.  
“Stop it!”  
“You talk about me?”  
“Yeah of course I mean,” Finnian only turned more purple. “Well, I’ll leave you to it, see you!” He grabbed Vince’s wrist pulling him into the school with him.  
“Well I guess it’s just us then!” Ricki cheered. “Let me see your schedule! I will take you to your classes!”


End file.
